FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT DWIGHT YOAKAM - PAGE 4

Richard Buckner Devotion + Doubt (MCA) (star) (star) Singer-songwriter Richard Buckner is that guy at every party who sits off by himself, morosely contemplating the bottom of his beer glass and brooding about his misfortune. At least that's the image suggested by his relentlessly downbeat and introspective second album, "Devotion + Doubt." Singing like Dwight Yoakam with better enunciation, Buckner explores every possible facet of loss and heartbreak on 13 sparely produced songs.

Somebody break up Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. Gossips have been frothing at the mouth ever since "The Break Up" co-stars were spotted getting uber-friendly at Bella Lounge and at a Dwight Yoakam show at House of Blues, as RedEye columnist Liz Crokin reported Monday. The alleged canoodling went down after Aniston and Vaughn partied away at a wrap party for their comedy, which has been filming here this summer. Could Aniston already have found her post-Pitt match? Not so fast, a rep for Aniston warned people.

Dwight Yoakam If There Was a Way (Warner/Reprise) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 1/2 This could be the best album by Yoakam, whose previous four albums were all worthwhile. A highly aggressive effort that is ultra-hillbilly-sounding (early Johnny Cash-style instrumentation coupled with early Buck Owens-style vocals) at its core, while still managing to bring in occasional blasts of rock and blues, it is written almost entirely by Yoakam himself and is classic-style hillbilly, too, in substance: fiery music set to lyrics of fire-in-the-gut sadness.

The Mavericks Music for All Occasions (MCA) (star) (star) 1/2 On this album, Raul Malo's richly distinctive voice sounds a whole lot like Chris Isaak--with a dash of Dwight Yoakam--and the singer-songwriter and his able supporting crew of Miami hillbillies wring about as much fun from this batch of retro ditties as is possible. By the time the gag starts to wear thin, we get back into familiar Mavericks' territory with the rocking "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down," featuring Flaco Jimenez's remarkable accordion work.

Pete Anderson Daredevil Pete Anderson is best known as a producer whose credits include the expanse of Dwight Yoakam's catalog. But he also has earned substantial regard for his guitar work on those projects and his own material. His keenly developed skills as a musician and studio overseer serve him in good stead on "Daredevil," a collection of instrumental tunes that is expressive within restrained, finely crafted melodic environments. His roots-heavy style references country, rock and blues.

Kostas X S in Moderation (Liberty) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 1/2 A Greek immigrant who has become a Nashville songwriting institution in just five years, Kostas is the man who wrote (well, co-wrote) "Ain't That Lonely Yet" for Dwight Yoakam and "Blame It on Your Heart" for Patty Loveless, both of which are included here. People accustomed to songwriters having bad voices will be pleasantly surprised with Kostas' almost weirdly high, beautiful sound. The songs are diverse enough to suggest something of the man's musical breadth, ranging from the convenient country hook of "Two Timin' Two Stepper" to the pop-ish ballad "If You Think."

"I am elated. Because never in the history of the world did a man have 10 pages of a newspaper devoted to himself." -Businessman Abraham Hirschfeld, who bought the New York Post only to see the newspaper's first issue under his ownership denounce him as a slime, a liar and a maniac. "It's been fun. But I keep waiting for the tanks to move in and crush us." -New York Post reporter Marvin Smilon, comparing the newsroom revolt against Hirschfeld to the 1968 uprising against communism in Czechoslovakia.

Aside from Dwight Yoakam guitarist-producer Pete Anderson, it's difficult to name any other country musicians who started out in, of all places, Detroit. Anderson, whose first solo album, "Working Class" (Little Dog), has just been released, grew up in Motor City, glued to country music radio and "The Grand Ole Opry" on television. But it was after seeing Elvis Presley on television that a preteen Anderson headed for a music store and walked out with a steel guitar. "My friends would be outside playing football, while I was practicing `Good Night Ladies' for my music instructor," he recalled.

Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room (Dwight Yoakam, Reprise Records). In an album that crackles with rock-ish instrumental excitement, Yoakam struts his songwriting stuff with characteristically nasal vocals. The album opens with one of its finest songs, "I Got You," a wonderful description of a down-on-his-luck workingman who keeps his eye on the things that count. Another especially excellent one written by Yoakam on Side 1 is "What I Don`t Know," a vicious threat to kill his lover if she's cheating.